Imaging a CO snow line with ALMA
Astronomers imaged a snow line in a protoplanetary disk with ALMA – a step towards a better understanding of the theory of planet formation.
A Core Matter
The mass of the cores of giant planets affects their luminosity after formation, complicating how we determine the mass of directly imaged planets.
The strength of planet formation: planets found in dense star clusters
The recent discovery of two planets in an open star cluster implies that planet formation can survive the harsh environments of a dense stellar cluster.
Recap of the IAU Planet Formation Symposium
Highlights from the International Astronomical Union Symposium on “Exploring the Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems”.
An Odd Man Out: The Case of 49 Ceti
The disk around 49 Ceti is known to show characteristics of both protoplanetary and debris disks. New observations with Herschel reveal that it is likely a debris disk with gas generated by evaporating comets.
Herschel Diagnoses Protoplanetary Dust, Finds it Iron-Deficient
Spectroscopy with Herschel can probe the dust in the heart of protoplanetary disks through the 69 micron feature of forsterite. Examining these features in detail reveals that the dust grains are small, iron poor, and confined to narrow rings.